M4
}} The M4 is an American Carbine member of the AR-15 Family. It is unlocked at rank 14, or it can be purchased with credits. History In 1984, U.S firearms producers Colt began working on a new carbine design based on the M16A2 assault rifle at the behest of the U.S military. Its design has its roots in Colt's earlier CAR-15 series of weapons dating back to the 1960s, most notably the Colt Commando variants. Designated as the XM4, the weapon has 80% of part commonality with the M16A2 and like its parent design, fires a three-round burst. It also features a 14.5-inch barrel, allowing the attachment of a bayonet and M203 grenade launcher as well as improving the weapon's ballistics and reduces muzzle flash. In 1994, the U.S. military officially accepted the M4 into service, with the weapon first seeing its first operational conflict in Kosovo in 1999. It has seen major usage in the 'War On Terror', including combat in Iraq and Afghanistan. The M4 largely replaced the M16A2 in frontline service by U.S troops, although the M16A4 was adopted as the standard-issue rifle of the U.S. Marine Corps. However, M4s were issued to troops in positions where the full-length M16 was too bulky for such operations, such as vehicle operators.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M4_carbine The M4 also largely replaced submachine guns and selected sidearms in service, as it provided more stopping power and penetration than either aforementioned weapons. In December 2017, the Marine Corps revealed a decision to equip every Marine in an infantry squad with the M27, ultimately replacing the M4 in that part of the service. 'In-Game' General Information The M4 is a fast-firing carbine, having a very high rate of fire (RoF) of 950 RPM—the fastest in-class. This is fired in three-round bursts, being the only burst-fire carbine in-game. The weapon does not have any burst delay, meaning a user can fire at 950 RPM without stoppages, however, this is harder for less experienced users. The M4 also sports high close-range damage, dealing a three-shot kill (3SK) up close, or a 2SK with headshots. At longer ranges, damage is quite poor, being a 6SK at the end of its damage drop-off. Range is average, with its damage beginning to drop-off at 50 studs and finishing at 100 studs. Muzzle velocity is below average for a carbine, at 2200 studs per second. Due to the high close-range damage and high RoF, the M4 has the fastest minimum time to kill (TTK) in-class. The M4 is also very mobile, as it is essentially a shorter M16A4. The player can use this mobility to their advantage, allowing the user to avoid potential conflict, or escape from a dire situation. The weapon is effective up to a moderate range. As well as having a very fast RoF and recoil, it also has one of the faster reloads in the game, clocking in at 1.7 seconds for a tactical reload and 2.2 seconds for a full reload. Usage & Tactics The M4 is a very effective offensive weapon. Its low recoil, very high rate of fire and damage create a near-perfect carbine. The semi-auto has its place, but the M4 is more ideal for close to medium range engagements. At longer ranges, the M4 falters compared to the rest of its class, with a 6SK. With the 3SK capacity at close range, the M4 is capable of a 1 burst kill like the M16A4. While the M4's 3SK range is shorter than the M16A4's, its fire rate is superior to that of its assault rifle counterpart and has good hipfire performance. The gun lacks full-auto, which is often a downside for many users, as the majority are not often accustomed to not having a full-automatic fire mode. However, newer players can get used to the burst mode, while a skilled player can adapt to most gameplay styles. This gun cannot compete with a sniper rifle at long ranges, so the best tactic is to flank around the sniper. If the player dislikes burst mode and prefers full-auto instead, the M4A1 is a viable option in this case. The M4 is highly customizable. There are plenty of good combinations of attachments for any play style. Users can spend time fine-tuning the M4 to their playstyle, as it is extremely versatile and well-rounded. Conclusion The M4, in some ways, surpasses the M4A1. The M4 possesses both a higher maximum damage and higher RoF than its fully-automatic variant, overall having a much better TTK in CQC. For any skilled or adaptable player, this weapon will offer a direct upgrade to the M4A1. However, at longer distances, the M4 is less accurate compared to the M4A1, and continuously spraying the M4 will hinder accuracy at range further. For average players, the M4 is also more difficult to use due to being a burst fire weapon instead of a fully-automatic one. If a user wants a weapon that can spray bullets at enemies at longer ranges, the M4A1 is a better choice. However, when mastered, the M4 outclasses the M4A1 in almost every way. This compensates for users who have spent time mastering the burst firemode. Pros & Cons Pros: * High damage—two-shot headshot in CQC. * Very low minimum TTK. * Low recoil. * Good hipfire. * High RoF. * Good mobility speed. * Common ammunition type. * Fast reload time. Cons: * Burst-fire weapon—harder to use. * Fast damage drop. * Short maximum range. * High muzzle flash. * Poor minimum damage—6SK at long range. * Lower than average muzzle velocity. * Obstructive front sight when using certain optics. * Has a burst delay, along with burst position being "stored". Trivia * Before the version 0.12.7, the M4 had three firing modes: Full-auto, Burst fire and Semi-auto. ** As of 0.12.5, the M4 got a model update and had the automatic firemode removed, for a more accurate representation of the real-life counterpart. *** Its fully-automatic counterpart, the M4A1, was later added in as a rank 14 carbine (now 0). The new M4A1 had the same exact stats as the M4 before 0.12.7. * The M4 is a shorter derivative of the M16A2 with some improvements, such as the fact it uses a 14.5 inch barrel instead of a 20-inch barrel and a telescoping stock. This makes it better suited to CQC operations (such as in urban areas), support troops (i.e. artillery crews, medics, spotters, etc.), and vehicle crews as it is a lot more compact, but its effective range is a lot less than the M16 due to the reduced velocity * Before v0.12.7, when different optics were used on the M4, the front sight was removed, which was considered unrealistic because the front sight is attached to the gas block. ** This was fixed in v.0.12.7. * Optics are now adjusted in height with the assist of a slab that replaces the carry handle to avoid the front iron sight from blocking the reticle. * The M4 was often seen featured in some of the thumbnails of the game. ** However, it was a specially customized one that you cannot replicate in the actual game. In one of the thumbnails, the M4 was shown with a VCOG 6x Scope, a laser, a Green Laser, a Suppressor, and a Vertical Grip. * While the M4 has a built-in Flash Hider, there is no difference in the muzzle flash unless you apply the attachment. This also applies to the M4A1, M16A3, and M16A4. * Before the July 4th 2017 update, this was the default Carbine unlocked as a starter weapon. This is currently held by the M4A1. * The Rank to unlock the M4A1 originally was rank 14. Currently, the M4 has this spot. * The M4 used to be the starter carbine. It was replaced by the M4A1 because of how easy it was to use compared to the M4. * Update 4.13.0 added a burst delay to the M4 and the M16A4, resulting in a waiting period between bursts, along with the position of the burst being "stored". Reference Category:Primary Weapons Category:Carbines Category:AR-15 Family